“the data collection required to support the RAE submission provided a representative sample of all the various types of research outputs used across the institution. At the start of the data collection exercise, approximately 40% of all members of staff submitted did not have complete and correct citation information about all of their four chosen outputs. Surprisingly approximately 18% did not have physical copies of their selected outputs. Reasons given included they had been mislaid, they had given away their last copy or had never received a copy from the publisher. The most common reason given in creative subjects was they had sold the artwork and had not taken a photographic copy. By the end of the data collection process we had resolved all of the issues or had substituted equivalent outputs. This highlighted the need for a systematic process to collect all outputs as they are generated and store them in a repository.”

Comments:
The project’s findings about the unavailabilty of copies of and inaccuracy of information about each academic’s four most important works over the preceding 8 years highlight the need for techncial and procedural systems (such as repositories and policies) to help academics in managing their work and help institutions retain access to ‘their’ assets.